Cleaning Your Home With Bleach Could Be Making Your Kids Sick

It's linked to a higher rate of infections, a new study says.

Bleach is a great way to kill germs while cleaning your house. But a new study, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, found that it's also connected with the flu, tonsilitis, and other infections in kids.

Researchers with the Centre for Environment and Health in Belgium studied 9102 kids from age 6 to12 in Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland. Their parents were given questionnaires about the frequency of their kids' infections (like the flu, tonsillitis, sinus infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia) over the past year, and how often they use bleach at home.

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Bleach was common in Spain; 72% of parents used it at home, and all schools there used it for cleaning. But it was extremely rare in Finland, with only 7% of parents using it. The researchers found that kids whose parents used bleach to clean the house were more likely to have infections, especially the flu and tonsillitis. And the results were controlled for factors like secondhand smoke, mold, and bleach use in schools.

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The results were modest, but still significant. Though they stopped short of cause and effect, the researchers say that the myth that all bacteria is bad might be doing families more harm than good. "The high frequency of use of disinfecting cleaning products, caused by the erroneous belief, reinforced by advertising, that our homes should be free of microbes, makes the modest effects reported in our study of public health concern," the authors write.

The American Cleaning Institute defended the use of bleach in a statement, noting that the study was observational and no direct link was proven. "The authors completely fail to acknowledge the benefits of household bleach when it is properly used for cleaning, disinfecting, and laundering," the group, which represents companies that manufacture cleaners, argued. They urged consumers to use and store bleach products safely.

"Bleach is a very effective disinfectant and a valuable way to kill mold spores and food-borne bacteria that can cause illness and allergic reactions," said Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "It's not necessary, practical, or even possible, however, to disinfect the house from top to bottom. Bleach, bleach-containing cleaners and disinfecting cleaners certainly have their place and are an important part of maintaining a healthy home. Overuse, however, is not necessary, warranted, or recommended."